"Food for me was a connecting link to my grandmother, to my childhood, to my past. And what I found out is that for everybody, food is a connector to their roots, to their past in different ways. It gives you security; it gives you a profile of who you are, where you come from." - Lidia Matticchio Bastianich

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Friday, March 21, 2008

This is my sincere attempt to make Mangalore style Puranpoli like my grandmother used to make. These Mangalore puranpolis look vibrant yellow with turmeric in the dough. Most of the Mangalore stores in Mumbai sell these Puranpolis. Amma's puranpolis used to be huge while Mangalore stores puranpolis are much smaller in size.

Method
1. Pressure cook chana daal adding double amount of water. Take out, drain the water. This water can be used to make "Katachi Amti".
2. Put the boiled & drained chana daal in a saucepan and let it simmer on a slow flame till all the moisture evaporates.
3. Add jaggery and keep mashing till jaggery melts.
4. Simmer till the moisture evaporates.
5. Switch off the gas. Add nutmeg and cardamom powders.
6. Let the puran cool down. Using potato masher, potato ricer, blender or food mill , mash the puran to a smooth paste. Keep aside.
7. mix wheat flour, maida, salt and turmeric powder. Adding water, knead the dough.
8. Add oil and knead again till the dough appears elastic and does not stick to the hand.9. Cover and keep aside for 5 minutes.
10. Heat a griddle, pan or tawa.
11. Make equal balls of the dough and puran. Make a small puri of dough. Stuff the ball of puran inside. Gently dredge in a rice flour and roll out thin poli.

12. Roast on tawa without adding oil or ghee. Roast on a low flame till brown spots appear on both sides.

Notes -
1. Many people - probably all of them - recommend making a ball of dough and ball of puran bigger than the ball of dough. And then covering ball of puran with ball of dough and then rolling into poli. However, I find the method of making a small puri, adding puran, and then rolling into poli much easier. It could very well because I am still a novice.

2. Serve this poli with Rosu as mentioned in the accompaniment and you get a delicious Vegan sweet bread.

I just checked my Kalnirnay, and found lots of festivals are lined up one after the other. With my humble Mangalore Puranpoli, let me wish you all
- Happy Holi
- Happy Eid
- Happy Easter
- Happiness always,
Meera...